2 aug

The Syrian military command has announced that the al-Khalidiah neighbourhood of Homs that was the main stronghold of militants until recently is now safe. ”Having consolidated its victory in Homs, the Assad regime controls all the area stretching from Damascus to the coast,” says analyst Karim Bitar of the French Institute of International and Strategic Relations. The Voice of Russia contacted other security experts to get a clearer picture of the crisis.

Russia pledges to continue to send humanitarian aid to Syria, and the shipments will be carried out on a regular basis. That’s according to Russian Foreign Ministry. In the meantime, almost every day Syria is hit by bloody attacks. At least a dozen of civilians were killed in mortar and rocket attacks in Damascus and Homs earlier this week, nearly 20 people received serious injuries. Mother Agnès-Mariam de la Croix, the founder of Christian community in Damascus, talked to the Voice of Russia about regional humanitarian crisis and the most pressing needs of Syrian population.